Mark Heisler ON THE NBA

Laker Excuses Running Thin

At the Lakers' (former) level, nothing was ever decided before April. Of course, at their current pace, the only thing left to be decided by then will be where they want to go for the rest of April, when the real teams start the playoffs.

We're not talking about their pace the first three weeks (3-9) when Shaquille O'Neal was out and Kobe Bryant was ripping his teammates ... or the next month (8-10) while Shaq was getting into shape ... and, of course, ripping his teammates.

We're talking about what came next, after their Christmas loss to the Sacramento Kings, amid their new-found sense of urgency (?), as the schedule delivered up a five-day vacation, a leisurely 12 games in four weeks and an 8-4 home-road split.

They went 6-2 at home and 2-2 on the road. At that pace, they'll finish 44-38 and their three-year dynasty will probably end right there, saving them the aggravation and humiliation of being toppled in the playoffs.

The real-life experience is worse than the numbers, with their fans booing while they're being ambushed by the once-lowly Golden State Warriors ... a two-hour meeting on the off-day ... Phil Jackson, the former What, Me Worry? Kid, wondering aloud if he can still reach his players ... then watching his slugs get outhustled yet again in the cathedral-like silence of Staples Center, falling to the scrappy New Jersey Nets, who are playing their fourth game in five nights.

This is what the Lakers are now, and all they are now. All their old excuses are over. O'Neal is still missing his old explosiveness, but he's in as good condition as he ever gets in these days.

The supporting cast is out of its coma and offering as much support as it can. Derek Fisher is averaging 13 points this month and shooting 51%. Rick Fox has knocked down 43% of his threes.

It's not enough, but the cavalry won't ride over the hill soon. The only way to make a major deal is to throw in Robert Horry's $5.6-million contract but, as flat a line as he embodies now, everyone knows what a blessing he is in crunch time.

Said a West team official of an Horry-for-Brian Grant scenario: "Speaking for us, I would love to see the Lakers do that."

The Lakers' problem, and their only possible solution, is spiritual, a problem for a team that looks as if it has lost its hunger and its joy in playing the game.

"That's a big part of it ... emotionally and spiritually, the energy that it takes to do what we're doing," said Fisher after Friday night's loss. "We're still the same players physically. We're still able to score points. Guys are hitting shots. We're doing good things. It's not that we're playing so terrible that we can't win. But definitely, the energy that it takes to win over 82 games and go deep into the playoffs....

"I mean, most of this team, we've been to the playoffs every year and each game is like a playoff when we're playing against other teams and it takes a lot of energy to continue to bring that off, night in and night out. And there are times we haven't had it. It's been very obvious."

So is the realization, now echoing throughout the organization, that only O'Neal can lead them out of this.

As is always the case with the supreme leader, his thoughts, actions and moods set the tone. This is another problem, since he paces himself in games ... and seasons ... and on defense ... and seems to enjoy their title runs less with each title they win.

An awakened, chastened Shaq is still a fearsome prospect, as he showed against Yao Ming, when he got his first four shots returned, postage due. O'Neal dialed it up from that point and wore Yao down like the great big rookie he was.

After that, however, O'Neal went back to his usual level, with teammates covering for him on defense, rather than the other way around. In Friday's fourth quarter, while he lurked in the lane, as usual, Brian Shaw came over to help check his man, Aaron Williams. Williams passed back to the man Shaw had left, Brian Scalabrine, who dropped a three-point basket.

That stuff might have been OK in January, 2001 and 2002, but it won't cut it this time.

Of course, I'm the one who told you Alvin Gentry was gone a couple of weeks ago and he's hanging in there, booting the Clippers to the occasional big win.

The problem for both local teams is the West is even tougher (except for them), offering few sure victories as such old pigeons as the Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies, who won in San Antonio while Golden State was winning here, develop teeth.

The sad truth is, Gentry is almost certainly gone. The only question is when, which is how the Lakers look today, too.